The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-12-24

Fork county, was deeply troubled. His trouble was not caused by an ina bility to meet any financial demand made against the office, nor was it the result of an indiscrcet political alli- ance. It was caused by the fact that MT. Bluecoogle had found himself un- able to provide for his readers an in- teresting and wholly original Christi mas story. He had offered prize of one years subscription for an avaia- ble story, and although this munif- cent proposal had greatly stimulated "literarians" of West Fork county, yet critical examination of the mass of manuscript that had been turned in failed to discover story of even passable skill.
 "Pve got to go to press tomorrow" said the editor, addressing his wife, "and haven't found a story yet" He had gone home, and was sitting in front of his fire, made chcerless by his own dejection.
 "Can't you clip one from some papcr?" Mrs. Bluecoogle asked, as she placed dish-pan of apples on stool bottom chair.
 "That wouldn't let me out, for 1 have promised that it shall be ori- ginal."
 Mrs. Bluecoogle sighed sympathet- ically, tucked up her skirts, and began to busy herself with pairing the apples. Just then the editors son, q sprightly boy twelve years of age, entered the room.
 ''Have you got Christmas story yetp" he asked.
 "No," the editor replied.
 "Going to have one?"
 "I am afraid not"
 "Print mine."
 "Yours!"
 "Yes; Iwrote one. Here it is."
 He handed the editor scrawling manuscript, and, in sort of embar- rassed glee, ran from the room. The editor read the following:
 One time in country way off some- where, I don't know where, there lived boy named Bill. He lived with his mother and sister. His father was dead. They were poor and lived in house that they rented from a mighty mean man. In that country red turkey gobbler would show himself every year just before Christmas. The oldest men said that their grandfathers could not remem- Der when the red gobbler first come. Somehow it was known that anyone that killed the red gobbler would have good luck. For years and years people tried to kill the red. gobbler, but could not, and such bad luck had come to every one who had tried, that every year, just before Christmas, the preachers would warn everybody not to go near the awful bird.
 One night in December the mean man came over and told Bills mother that if she didn't have the rent money by Christmas morning he would have her put out of the house. The poor woman had been sick for a long time and was not able to get out of her bed. Bill was not in the room when the mean man told his mother what she would have to do, and when he came in after the man left and found her crying, he thought it was because she had such pains, but when she told him what the mean man had said, he felt like crying too, but he didn't Bill sat down by the fire, and after thinking long time said, that he wished he could kill the red gobbler when he came round again.
 My son." said his mother, "don't talkH that way; that gobbler haf caused hundreds ot people to be ruined. The last man that tried tc kill him took fire and burnt up. Ii you were to try, something awful would happen"
 Bill didn't say anything, but he shook his head, and thought good deal, and that evening, when he went out walking in the woods, he took thu